Universal Login FAQ For Students

Frequently Asked Questions

A:Yes! Your Banner ID is used internally to identify you in the student information system.

Q : How do I login to a student computer on any of the COS campuses (Hanford, Tulare, Visalia)? ‎(1)

​A: For the initial time after the conversion, use the first part of the COS email address (everything to the left of the @ sign) in the user field and your date of birth in the password field (m/d/yyyy). You will be prompted to change your password. After the initial login, you will use the first part of the COS email address (everything to the left of the @ sign) and your password.

A: When you print from a student computer lab, you will use the Pharos system. To release the printer, either swipe your ID card or enter your universal login credentials (COS email without the @giant.cos.edu and password).

Q : I have just applied and have received two emails, one with my Banner ID and one with my COS email address and temporary password. Which one do I use? ‎(1)

​A: During the transition to the Universal Login system there is a chance that the temporary password was changed to your date of birth. Use the first part of the COS email address (everything to the left of the @ sign) as the login ID and the temporary password that was sent to you. If this does not work, use the first part of the COS email address (everything to the left of the @ sign) and your date of birth (m/d/yyyy).

Q : I used to login to COS computers with my Banner ID, how do I login now? ‎(1)

​A: Starting Tuesday 2/16/2016, your Banner ID will no longer be used to login to campus student computer lab workstations. The Universal login, which is the first part of your COS email address (everything to the left of the @ sign) and password will be used.​

Q : Is there an easy way to find links to all the campus systems that I use? ‎(1)

​A: Yes! MyGiant.cos.edu has been created to be the “portal” to all COS systems.

Q : Password Management has locked me out of my account! How can I get it manually reset? ‎(1)

​A: Once the password management system has locked you out, you must go to an office on one of the campuses with your picture ID to have it reset:

Q : What do I do when I am done with one application and want to go to another? ‎(1)

A: When you open an application from mygiant.cos.edu, it opens in a new tab. When you are done with that application, you can either log out or just close the tab. Some applications will log you out of mygiant.cos.edu as well as the application. When that happens, just re-enter your User ID and password when requested. (The first part of everything to the left of the @ sign of your Giant Email address is your User ID.) Also, if you haven’t used the mygiant.cos.edu page for a while, it may time out and you will need to re-enter your User ID and password.

ALWAYS be sure to close ALL browser sessionswhen you are done to protect your accounts.

​A: Universal Login enables you log into multiple systems using the same User ID and Password. You don’t have to keep track of the different ways to login into computers, Banner, Blackboard, Canvas and other systems around campus. It will make your life easier!